Rail fastener



Jan;- 29, 1929. F. JONES RAIL FASTENER Filed Feb. 20, 1928 mam tow 1 arrow Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

' snares stares PATENT) Y means sates;

FRANK Jonas, or noonnoosn', ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T JAMES ;o.

BEEMAZN, or ROODHOUSE, ILLINOIS;

RAIL FASTENER.

' Application filed February 20, 1928. Serial No. 255,838.

The present invention relates to railroad appliances, and more specifically to improved means for securing and retaining rails in position upon their vcross ties or supports.

The primary object of the present invention resides in the-provision of an improved type of rail clamp or fastener'for eflectively preventingspreading of the rails.

A further object of the invention is to proi0 vide arail fastener embodying means adapted to be fixedly connected with. the cross tie, with interlocking means forfremovably coupling the rail to the device fixedly carried by the cross tie. l

A further object ofthe invention is to provide an improved type of rail fastener em- 1 f bodyingcan arrangement whereby a portion f ofthe fastener when secured to a cross tie will serve as a'gauge for proper spacing of the rails and thus materially decrease the proper spacing amount of time required for and aligning of the rails.

' V "A still further object of theinvention is to of either wood, steel, or concrete without liability of the rails spreading due to loosening of the fastening'meansbetween the clamp andcross tie.

Other objects and advantages of tion will be apparent during the course of the followingdetailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which'drawing: V

*Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view thru a rail and showing the same fastenedto a cross tie or supportby means of the improved rail clamp.

Figure 2 1s a central longitudinal section thru the improved clamp and showing the manner in which the clamp engages the rail base. 7

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of the various members of the device separated.

Referring to the drawing indetail, and

wherein similar referencecharacters desig' the invennate corresponding parts thy-seat. the several.

views, the letter designates a conventional type of rail, and B the improved rail clamp i .or fastenerfor securing therail A in posi{ tion upon a cross tie or support G.

The rail A embodies the usual web bland 'base6 forming flanges 7 extendingto each side of the web 5,and which flanges are 7 formed with the usual inclined upp'er surfaces 8.

' The cross 'tie or support c may formed of wood, concrete orsteel, and is pro-v vided with a flat upper face upon which the clamp Bis mounted. r r l The rail clamp or fastener B embodies a tie or rest plate lO, a co-acting pair of retaining members 11 forinterlocking engagement at one end with the rest plate 10, and i a key or clamping-member 12 for :each of stantially L-shaped formation, are abutment formingportions 13 havinginw'ardly directed flanges 14 which extend in spaced overlying relation to the upper surface of the rest plate and form inwardly opening channels or keyways 15 extending transversely of the i rest-plate. These abutments-l3 are'formed at the longitudinal center of the rest plate and are of a length less than the widthzof, the plate ,to provide anchorin-gextensionslti at each corner of the ,plate projecting pastthe transversely extending abutments. Each of the extensions. 16 is provided withv an opening 17 for receiving a fastening element whereby the restplate may be fixedly secured to the tie C. It may here be well tostate that the, distance between the inner or confronting edges of theflanges 14: is greater than the widthv of; the rail base Formed transversely in the rest plate and spaced inwardlyv from :the inner edges of the -flanges 1,4, are rectangular shaped'openings 18 of ;a length less than theflength of the abutments' 13. These rectan 'ular shaped openings 18 as will be observed inFigure- 2, have their inner or adjacent edges spaced for a distanceflequal tn the widthef the rail base 6 Thus it will be seen that when the rail A is positioned at the transverse center of the rest plate, an opening 18 and an abutment portion 13 will be disposed to each side of the rail base;

' The rest plate is preferably secured to the tie C as by means of suitable bolts 19 which extend vertically thru the tie and; 11513 .811

threaded upper ends which project thru the openings 17 in the extensions -16 for-' receivmg nuts 20 which may be turned into bind- I ing engagement with'the upper faces of the extensions 16: By so connecting the rest plate to the cross tie by means of bolts it will be seen that the'tie may either be of wood; steel or concrete construction.

' Referring now tothe retaining vmembers 11, and oneof which'is intended to be associated with each of the baseflanges 7, these retaining members are set bearing portion 23 having an outwardly offset locking tongue'24 provided at its lower edge; The locking tongue 24 is of less length than the portion 23 and forms bearing'shouli ders' 25 which engage the upper surface of the rest plate 10 when the tongue 24 is in serted into oneof the rectangular shaped openings -18"for limiting movement of the portions -23'thi'u theopeningsr The upper or' innenend'of the plate-portion 22 is bent upwardly and "then outwardly forming an overhanging fiange' 26' extending'in spaced overlying relation to the 'upper face of the plate portion and-providing an outwardly.v opening channel' or 'keyway 27." The plate portions 225 are inclined to conform with the inclination of the upper surfaces 8 of {the flanges-7 and .are'intendedto rest flat upon the inclined faces When-the tongues'24s'are coupled to-the rest 'plate. As will be observed in Figure 2, the bearing portions 23 act as abutmentsto engage'the side edges of the rail base G'When the locking tongues 24:" are inserted-thru the openings 18. The openings 18 'are' of a width slightly greater than the: thickness of "thelockingtongues for allow ing ready;insertion ofthe tongues into the openings so 'that the-tongues'may move to positions against the under side of therest plate when" the plate portions 22'engage the upper inclined faces of the flanges 7 Suit able reces ses 29 may be provided in the upper side of the tie C beneath the openings 18 for allowing proper insertion of the tongues 24: thru 1 the 1 openings into ;a locked position beneatli the rest plate. Thus it will be seen that the retaining members -11Tare detach ably' couple'dat'their outer ends to the rest: plate outwardly of the side "edges of :therail base by m'eans of an interlocking hinge :joint also preferably formed from'sheet steel of a suitable au e which allows for ready'disconnection of the retaining members from the rest plate.

Referring now to the key or retaining members 7-12, and one of which, is provided for each of theretaining members 11 for-securing the'retaining members in operative .positioniat opposite sides of the rail A,'the

members 12 are intended to bedriven trans verselya of the retaining members 11 with the inner end of theplate portion-30 engag ingin the keyway 27 "beneath the overhanging'alange 26, and the key l 'engaging inthe keyway=15 beneath the inwandly directed flange 14." As will beobserved,'the platejportions -30 of the clamping members are inclined to conformfwith the -inclinati'on of the and lie in surfacecontact therewith 'whenthe clamping members are in position'with'their w outer ends arranged in the keyways '15' and their inner-ends disposed in=the-keyways 27'. The innerand outervedges of the keys or clamping members 12 are preferably pro-- vided with a veryislightltaper soithat when the clamping members are driven into p0 sition the bearing portions 28" of the retain ing members will be forced into engagement with the-sideedges-of the rail lbaset as is clearly illustrated in Figure" 2, and which as will beobserve'd will prevent lateral move ment of the rail over the rest plate'.

When-the clamping-members 12 are 111"110-1 sition it will be seen' that theywvill' act "to retain the plate portionsof the retaining membersll insurface contact with the upper inclined surfaces of the flanges 7 and also tener when'in position-will act to prevent possible spreading of the rails; It will also be apparent that an arrangement has been provided whereby the retaining meansfor therest plates do not engage the rail and thus :are not loosened thru expansion and contraction of the rail. Itzwill furtherbe apparent that a: novel arrangement has been provided whereby the rail-mayvbe readily removed :fronrthecrosstie without requiring removal of the restplate, and thus-at lowing for the-rest plate to act as a gauge means for proper spacing of the rails.

Ohangeswin detail may be made toithe form of? inventionv herein: shown; and 1 de-v scribed; withoutdepartingsfronr ethe spirit of theinvention or'the scope of the following claims. I

p I claim:

1. A rail fastener including a rest plate for receiving the base flange of a rail, a retaining memberhaving a locking tongue for inter looking engagement with the rest plate and a plate portion for overlying the base flange of the rail, and a clamping member having sliding interlocking engagement at its outer end with the rest plate andsliding interlocking engagement at its inner end with the retaining member for securing the retaining member in holding engagement with the base flange.

2. A rail fastener including a rest plate provided with an L-shaped' abutment forming an inwardly opening channel, a retaining member having interlocking engagement at its outer end with the restplate inwardly of.

the abutment and having its inner end exthe rest plate and in holding engagement with tending over the base flange of the rail and provided with a channel opening toward said abutment, and a key hav ng its ends slldable into position 1n said channels for preventing displacement of the retaining member.

3. A rail fastener including a rest plate provided with an opening and having an abutment arranged outwardly of the opening,

a retaining member having a tongue removably fitting in said opening and auplate portion for extending over the base flange of the rail, said plate portion having an overhanging flange at its inner end forming an outwardly opening channel, and a key having its inner end slidably fitting in said channel and'its outerend slidably interlocking with said abutment for securing the retaining member in holding engagement with the base ment.

the rail, said clamping members at their outer ends having interlocking engagement with c said abutments. r v

5. A rail fastener comprising a rest plate having openings provided therein and spaced apart the width of the base flange of a rail,

retaining members having. bearing portions extending thru said openings for engaging opposite edges of the base flange and having tongues provided at their lower ends for locking beneath the rest plate, said tongues being of a length to provide shoulders for engagement with the upper surface of the rest plate, and clamping members for securing the retaining membersin position with the bearing portions thereof in engagement with the side edges of therail base flange.

6. A rail fastener comprising a rest plate,

having L-shaped portions struck upwardly from each end thereof'to provide inwardly opening keyways, retaining members hingedly and detachably coupled at their outer ends to the rest plate inwardly of said upwardly struck portionand including plate portions extending over the base flange of the rail and provided at their inner ends with I ,p '1

outwardly opening channels, and a clamping member for each retaining member including a plate portion movable in the channel at the inner end of the retaining members and an oflset key portion for slidably'fitting in said keyways of said upwardly struck portions of the rest plate.

7. In railroad appliances, means for securing and retaining rails in position upon cross ties, comprising a sheet metal rest plate having an L-shaped abutment struck upwardly from each end thereof intermediate the side K edges of the plate and forming an inwardly open ng channel, means for securmg the rest plate at its corner portions to across tie, re- I taimng members having interlockmg engage- Vment with the rest plate inwardly of the abut ments and including plate portions for engagement with the base flanges ofja' rail, and

a clamping memberfor each retaining mem- I her, having a key portion slidably fitting in said channels and having its inner end engagcuring the retaining member against displace- FRANK JONES.

ing the respective retaining member for sew" NN 

